Sinner
by we'llmakeyoufuckinsick
Summary: Black, white, day, night, sinner, saint. Total opposites or one and the same? Myde and Ienzo. For those of you looking for something different. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Vanity

_**Vanity.**_

' _In conventional parlance, vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others_.'

* * *

_And so he committed the final sin._  
_Such a sin, in another world, would have given him a new name, 'Zexion' to be precise, and landed him a place at number six in a group known as Organisation XIII. In this world, however, a saviour was released from the heavens. Myde was the only one that could now save Ienzo's soul from the depths of hell to which it was condemned._

Myde lifted his head from the dusty ground, only to find himself in the middle of a damp clearing, traces of mud still on his cheek. He looked around with panicked eyes and drew himself up with a pout. The teenage angel had no idea where he was. Everything here looked so... jagged, sharp, really just plain dangerous compared to what he was accustomed to. He looked up, barely able to see the beautiful blue skies. The night before the clouds had emptied their load upon Hersham, leaving the sun to shine through the leaves and drip onto the floor. The morning dew was clinging to the hairs on his legs as he looked around for a place to get a decent run up.

He paced forwards and then turned back around, feeling much heavier than normal. He shook off the sensation before he sprinted and threw himself off the ground, attempting to push out muscles that were no longer there. He crashed into the ground, and for the first time in his life, he felt pain. The rocks tore at his skin and his head slammed back against the floor, leaving the metallic taste of blood in his mouth and a strange white pain that took a few moments to pass.

Myde didn't move, just lay there, looking up at the skies above, his vision blurring. Slowly, his hands shaking, he reached behind him and felt around for his wings. Finding only skin he let out an anguished cry to the Gods, looking desperately through the tears that were now flowing rapidly down his cheeks.

In an hour, his tears had run dry and the angel could only consider himself fallen without his wings. He refused to move long after that, stubbornly digging his nails into the soil which gathered itself under his nails. He sat himself upright eventually and then rested his head in his hands to think.

Soon enough, the darkness came; Myde had no concept of time, for his world was timeless, and so the beautiful stars fascinated him, and the noises around him frightened him, causing him to close his eyes in a feeble attempt to block out the unknown. Sleep consumed him and he experienced his first dream.

_A boy around his age, if not a little younger, was gazing in the mirror and admiring his reflection, and then the image stopped, flickered and pushed forward a few hours. He was in school uniform, and a girl had timidly walked towards him. For Myde, the dream was almost soundless, but he could tell from the faint blush and smile what she was asking him. She looked at him and then back down before lifting her gaze to meet his again. The whispers were slowly becoming louder as he adjusted to this dream state. He heard the boy laugh cruelly and tell her he was too good for her. He tacked on that he hoped he wouldn't have to see her again, as he was quite content in his own company. He walked away smirking and left her. The young girl's shoulders slumped, and she bit her lip to stop it trembling. Her eyes misted with tears as she watched him go._

The dream faded out and Myde woke with a start, and the word 'Ienzo' etched into his mind as clearly as it would have been if it were carved into his flesh. He stood up and purposefully began walking in a direction he felt was right for him.

After an hour he had passed through another very large clearing, which he had edged around cautiously, not overly keen on standing in the open space in this strange land. When Myde emerged from the trees on the other side of that area, he stopped, staring out at a house that was partially covered by trees and bushes on the other side of a rather large field. Myde instinctively felt drawn towards it, his eyesight momentarily clouding up. The inexplicable desire to go to the odd formation of bricks was overwhelming. He _needed_ it, or whatever was inside. Myde broke into a run, his sapphire eyes determined now, as his marred robe trailed out behind him. When he reached the door, the anticipation building up had brought a wide grin to his features. Myde lifted his hand, biting his lip, and wondering what lay beyond. Without further ado, Myde gave two sharp knocks. He shifted from foot to foot. Silence... footsteps down the stairs. His heart was beating in his throat... the sound of the lock being slid across. Myde's eyes lit up. At last, the door creaked open...


	2. Knocking on the Devil's Door

**_Knocking on the Devil's Door._**

_'Sooner or later, someone's bound to answer_.'

* * *

Ienzo looked through the peephole and gazed at the strange boy who was facing him and cocked an eyebrow. The boy looked as if he had escaped from a mental hospital and he suspected as much from the silly grin he wore on his face. He tentatively opened the door. His eyes trailed from the mullet down to his bare feet.

"Sorry... can I help you? My father isn't around..." He said slowly, and then saw the look of shock that had come upon the boy's face.

"You're him!" He squealed and threw his arms around Ienzo. "I had a dream about you!" He explained, seeing Ienzo's confused look. Myde's smile slowly faded when Ienzo didn't react,

"I'm sorry," He said slowly and hesitantly, beginning to close the door now. "I think you've got the wrong person..."

"No, it's you!" Myde put his foot in the door with a confident smile that reminded Ienzo of an overly friendly salesman. "It's you, I'm meant to find you, I think," He paused and touched his finger to the side of his cheek. "Not quite sure why, but hey, we can find that out later, right? You can help me," He suggested. Ienzo tried again, in vain, to close the door. He looked down in irritation and then raised his eyebrows at the bare feet.

"Where are your shoes?"

"Shoes?" Myde questioned and then followed Ienzo's gaze, looking at his dirty feet. "Oh... Um..."

"Have you run away or something?"

"From where? Can I come in?" Myde asked, trying to poke his head in.

"What? No, you can't, I don't know who you are, now please go away," the short boy said impatiently, trying to close the door again, rather roughly. Myde let out a yelp of pain and withdrew his foot, whimpering. The door closed in his face, and he now felt rather lost. Myde slowly sat down and rested his head on the dark red wood, unsure what to do now. The rain began to fall, and Myde simply closed his eyes, shivering on the doorstep, doing his best to fall asleep and experience that sweet darkness of sleep once again.

Ienzo watched Myde from the window and waited for him to leave. When he made no move to, Ienzo shrugged and decided his adoptive father, Xemnas, would deal with him. He eyed Myde's hair, the strange mullet and the golden tips that almost seemed to glow. How did a boy running around bare foot still make time for something as simplistic as hair maintenance? Surely he was homeless, or, as he had earlier suspected, escaped from a mental asylum.

* * *

Myde awoke to find a tall figure towering over him. His hair was greying from what Myde supposed was age, but it maintained a silver tint to it. What lifted Myde from his sleep was not his drenched body and sopping wet hair, but the door he was leaning on disappearing from behind him as Xemnas swung it open. Myde quickly crawled in and then stood up to introduce himself as the door was closed, still groggy from the sudden awakening.

"Hey, I'm Myde, it's very nice to meetcha," He said, extending his hand politely. Xemnas paid him no heed whatsoever and carried on into the kitchen, slipping off his black coat and dumping it onto the back of a chair before sinking into it, as if glad to be off his feet.

Ienzo came downstairs to welcome his father home, and blanched when he laid eyes upon Myde who was leaning right in front of Xemnas and trying to get his attention.

"Why have you let him in?" He asked in a very low tone. Amber eyes met icy blue, and Xemnas' brow furrowed.

"Let who in?"

"Him of course!" Ienzo spluttered, pointing at Myde who had now shrunk back against the wall when he realised he was being spoken about.

"There's nobody there, Ienzo," Xemnas said, and then stood up, walking over to him and leaning down to tilt his chin up. Ienzo made to pull away, but a firm hand on his waist stopped him doing so. Reluctantly, he stayed still while Xemnas brushed the hair from his eyes, looking carefully into them and checking them for any signs of intoxication.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Ienzo insisted, his eyes fixed on a very confused Myde.

"Get some rest. Maybe you've worked yourself too hard today," He suggested gently, releasing Ienzo and letting his hair flop back over his eye.

"He's standing right there..."

"Bed," He ordered. Xemnas didn't raise his voice, or even make it sharp; he knew Ienzo would obey. As predicted, the boy turned and walked slowly out of the kitchen and into the hallway, glancing once more at Myde before proceeding to his bedroom. He closed his door warily and lay down on his bed, resting his head on the pillow. Ienzo groaned softly and massaged his temples. What the _hell_ was happening to him?


	3. Envy

_**Envy.**_

_'Resentful desire of something posessed by another or others (but not limited to material posessions).'_

* * *

Ienzo awoke, startled awake by a creak on his bed. The boy was sat in silence, his head buried in his hands. Ienzo sat up, trying to fathom what on Earth the boy could be. A hallucination? A spirit? He decided that it was, at last, time to find out. Ienzo sat up and looked over at Myde. He was surprised to find that his throat was tight with fear, and his words, which he meant to come out at normal volume, came out as a whisper.

"What are you?" Ienzo whispered. He saw the black figure turn to look at him.

"I don't know anymore," He responded softly. There was a silence between them as if a truce had been called, and the tension in the room relaxed. The only sound that remained was the buzz of a tall fan that Ienzo kept running all through the night during summer. Since the rain had fallen, the sun had only become more intense, leaving a horrible sticky heat in his room at night.

"I was an angel, I think," He said quietly. Ienzo just nodded, deciding it was best not to argue with him. Utterly mad.

"I'm Ienzo," He said, rolling his shoulders back and then extending his hand.

"Myde," He quickly said, keen to talk to the strange boy.

"Why did you come to my door?" Ienzo asked slowly. Myde just shrugged and shuffled closer to him; he wasn't fond of the dark.

"I had a good feeling about it, it just seemed like a good idea," He murmured, resting his head down on the pillow, facing Ienzo and pulling his legs up onto the bed. Ienzo pulled his body back away from him and then paused,

"Why can't he see you?" He asked slowly.

"Who? The guy with the funny colour eyes?"

"Yes..."

"I don't really know, I mean, you can see me, right?" He asked, waving a hand right in front of his face. Ienzo pushed it away, irritated.

"Yes, yes I can see you, now stop that," He snapped.

"'kay, 'kay, just checking..."

"I have to sleep, I have school tomorrow," He said bluntly, waiting for Myde to move. Myde only smiled, a look which vanished as Ienzo shoved him roughly. "Get off my bed!" He demanded as Myde landed on the floor with a thump. Myde wailed softly in complaint, but stood up and sat on the end of the bed. Knowing he was going to get no better than that, Ienzo curled up on the bed and slowly let sleep claim him.

* * *

_Dear diary,_

_that infuriating, practically mute boy has been following me for exactly 47 days now. He has done nothing but sit and stare like a fool, and since that first night, he has not parted his lips to speak to me. I have considered, repeatedly, that he is a hallucination, and have even been to see the school psychologist, as I am certain now that I am the only one this apparition is visible to. The useless man, he told me it was a manifestation of stress and that I should take a break._

_I don't need advice off people like him, besides, if I would have even had a moments rest this last month, my 'darling' friend Amelia would have won the award at the Science Fair. I sabotaged her chances, but she doesn't know that. Amelia is my closest friend, and, unbeknownst to her, my toy for practising manipulation and flawless acting._

_Leading up to the science projects being shown, I hadn't seen her for weeks, and nor had anybody else. I decided, at last, to see what she had been working on with such dedication. I found her in the science lab with a model of the human heart she had been working on. As I pretended to admire it, I considered what a useless organ it was in literature, as love is such an over-used tool, yet what an important part of the body. Admittedly, yes, she did well. It was impressive. In contrast to this marvellous contraption, however, I found her, a pitiful creature, in tears. I played the nice guy, sat beside her, and smiled. I asked her what was wrong and she shook her head and smiled, told me she was finally done. I looked at the model again and I felt fury twist inside me like an animal. My own project, something I had spent a grand total of one night on, would have beaten everyone else's if it were not for this girl, this one girl who always seemed to throw away so many hours in the name of science. So this was why nobody had seen her!_

_Yes, Amelia was dedicated, but I had never lost to anyone before. I hated the thought of it, and enviously I watched as she showed me through the ways of the model. How could such a stupid girl produce something so wonderful? I supposed she must have cheated. Family, yes, that must have been it. Using the one thing I don't have against me! How sneaky, how cold!_

_I walked out of the room while she got ready to head to registration, and hesitated only briefly by the fire bell. Such a perfect plan, and I had concocted it fast enough for me to win tomorrow night. It seemed much easier to do this than put the work in. I hit the fire alarm and listened to the dreadful sound while taking refuge in the bathrooms. I heard her walk past the door, and it all seemed so painfully, painfully simple; you don't collect anything in case of a fire, and in a school like ours, with so many drills, nobody ever bothers._

_I walked out after a few moments, and into the room, looking at her model. Beautiful, amazing, but fragile, so I pushed it off the edge of the table it had been resting on._

_After we got back in, I saw Amelia gathering the broken pieces of the model she had been so proud of. I tactfully ignored her and pretended not to notice her shaking lower lip. I sat down and felt a smug smile spread across my lips, and a sense of triumph that matched that which I got the next night as **I** was awarded first prize at the science fair. Amelia didn't show; there was no point. The next day I pretended to be concerned and shocked- Hah! Stupid girl!_

_This boy who has been following me has acted strange ever since; his eyes are like that of a deer in headlights, and I can't shake off the feeling of being a child, scolded by their parent. I've done nothing wrong to him, so he can stay out of my business. I make him sleep in the hallway now. I hate that boy._  
_I **hate **him. _

_**Ienzo**._


	4. The Tameness of a Wolf

_**The Tameness of a Wolf.  
**_  
_'He is mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love or a whore's oath.'_  
_-William Shakespeare (King Lear, III, vi, 19-21)_

* * *

_Dear Diary,  
_  
_I saw Ienzo making one of these two days ago, and I wanted one too, 'cause I'm bored, so here it is... I think you just write it like a story about your own life, so here goes nothing!_  
_Ienzo... oh he's awful. I don't mean to be cruel. I really don't... it's just that... well... oh you haven't seen him! ...I mean, of course you haven't, you're paper but... oh you know what I mean!_  
_He was really mean to this girl and she didn't even do anything! He pushed her model off the table and she worked so hard on it, she was supposed to be his friend too ): I tried to make her feel better but she couldn't see me... I really don't like this invisible thing.  
_  
_He doesn't let me sleep in a bed either, and I hate the floor, 'cause my back gets all ouchy and stuff. You know what, diary? **I** feel **really** lost here. I miss home. It just feels **like**... like it's beyond a veil... Right there, and somehow still outta my reach. I've just been trailing around after him and... I just... don't know what to do... I keep having these dreams and it's like a tape playing on loop, 'cause it's just a bunch of flashing images that slip through my fingers and I can't grasp 'em, as hard as I try. I've figured out one thing though: **Ienzo** is a horrible person. All the images are about him and I see the people he's hurt and the things he's done. It's awful. His presence is like a prison.  
_  
_I miss my wings.  
_  
_I miss being free.  
_  
_Myde._

* * *

The morning came as early as ever, and the spears of sun pierced the windows and fell over Ienzo. He reluctantly, groggily raised himself from the plain white bed, and then pushed the covers roughly back, letting them fall onto the floor. Three strides, and then the sound of an opening door brought Myde sharply back into the waking world. He always slept by Ienzo's door, just in case he was ever sick; as mean as Myde thought Ienzo was, he looked out for him because he seemed so much frailer than himself.

Ienzo was forced into absolute awareness as he tripped over something and tumbled forward, his head smashing into the wall on the other side of the small hallway, and then hit the floor. Myde jumped up to examine him, flustered apologies rushing past his lips.

"Get off, get off!" Ienzo shouted, and then sat up, rubbing his head, which was throbbing painfully. He opened his eyes, and the one that he allowed to see informatively told him that the world was spinning. He said nothing and let Myde carry on apologising while he massaged his head and waited for the world to right itself. When it finally did, he glared at him.  
"I wish you would stop sleeping by my bloody door, Myde!" He snapped. Myde winced; that was the only time Ienzo seemed to talk to him, either when he was taking out his moods on him, or telling him off.

"I'm sorry... is your head okay?" He asked timidly.

"No! Of course it's not, you dolt!"

"... I... I said I was sorry."

"Yes, well, words don't change a thing, do they?" He hissed. "I'm going to get a shower, Myde, wait in my room for me." He stomped down the hallway and into the bathroom, Myde watching his retreating form before he heard him slamming the door shut and cursing behind it. Slowly, Myde walked into Ienzo's room and sat on his bed in front of the fan, feeling the blast of cold air which was so refreshing in this heat, though it wasn't half as hot as it had been when he had first been there.

Such a strange concept, Myde thought. Words didn't change a thing? But words meant everything... Words were apologies, agreements, arguments, but at the end of it, he supposed, maybe Ienzo was right. Actions suddenly seemed much more important, and Myde bit his lower lip as he thought this over. He indignantly interrupted himself with protests that it didn't matter because it wasn't his fault anyway; Ienzo should have watched where he was going. Myde silenced this part of himself and just sighed, letting the event wash over him.

Ten minutes later, Myde was still waiting on the bed, his knees hugged to his chest. He was wearing the robe still, but Ienzo had kindly washed it for him when he was in the shower - probably just because he didn't want dirt he couldn't explain to Xemnas around his house. Myde wondered vaguely when he had started letting Ienzo boss him about and tell him where to wait and what to do. Once again, he shrugged it off and curled up on the bed. He looked at the fallen sheet and reached down, pulling it back up and pulling it over him.

Ienzo returned with a towel around his waist, only to find a bump in his bed. For a moment, he softened, and sat down next to him. He eased the sheets back, and for some reason, his heart skipped a beat when he looked at Myde's face. He really did look like an angel when he slept. He tensed his jaw uneasily, wondering why he would need an angel sent by Gods that he didn't believe in. Doubtfully, he ran his eyes down Myde's body. Weren't angels supposed to be like warriors? He'd always imagined perfectly sculpted bodies, not the average teenage boy. He didn't even have wings. Ienzo shook his head and pulled the sheets back over Myde so he wouldn't know he had been examined.

He dried and dressed himself, and then threw the towel on the floor. Myde usually folded it up for him anyway. Bored now, he gave Myde a rough shove to wake him up. Myde groaned softly and poked his head from beneath the sheets.

"Sorry... fell asleep," He murmured softly. Ienzo just smiled and stroked his cheek. Myde didn't flinch away from the touch, but was surprised and looked up at him with confused eyes. Ienzo shifted over so that he was on top of Myde, and then, knotting one hand in his hair, Ienzo leaned down close to Myde's face. Myde shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet his gaze as Ienzo looked deep into his eyes. He was able to feel Ienzo's hot breath on his lips and his hair on his cheeks,

"Ienzo?" He whispered uncertainly.


	5. Wrath

**_Wrath.  
_**  
_'Belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong.'_

* * *

_Kiss him! Don't kiss him, why would you want to kiss him? You're straight, don't kiss him... You look homosexual; hurt him to re-establish your masculinity._

Ienzo twisted his hand in Myde's hair, letting it pull at his scalp. Myde yelped and tried to sit up, but Ienzo pushed him back down. "That's what you get for tripping me up this morning," He spat venomously, pulling harder at his hair. Myde cried out, and suddenly felt Ienzo stop, looking at him with widened eyes; Myde could just see the other beneath his hair.

_Oh God, did I just see tears? I can't hurt him like this! He's an angel, an honest to God angel, what am I doing?_

"I'm... I'm sorry," He said his stomach twisting into knots.

"That hurt, Ienzo," Myde complained, blinking back tears of pain. "Besides, you said words didn't count..."

"..." He paused a moment, unsure how to react to his words being thrown back in his face. "Forgive me," He ordered, giving him a rare smile. Myde just frowned in response and pushed off of him, standing up and running a hand through his hair, checking the styling in the mirror.

"You can't just make me forgive you, I gotta choose to, don't you know anything?"

"So you won't forgive me?"

_That ungrateful, useless son-of-a-_

"I didn't say that."

_Nevermind._

"I'll forgive you, Ienzo, it's just mean of you to have done that to me, I did apologise already... and you kinda should watch where you're walking, you know I sleep out there... 'cause you don't let me sleep in here."

"...You could start sleeping in here if you want," Ienzo conceded reluctantly. Myde turned to look at him, losing interest in the mirror.

"Really, do you mean that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

"I suppose so..." Ienzo looked at the stupid grin that covered Myde's face and regretted letting him stay in there already.

"But you have to let me sleep," He told him firmly, and Myde just nodded enthusiastically.

_He looks like one of those nodding dogs... _

* * *

That night Ienzo lay in bed next to Myde. It wasn't quite what he had had in mind, but he supposed he could deal with it, at least for a few nights. It had been a long day, and Ienzo was eager to sleep. He rolled over and winced as he leaned on the aching part of his head. It was another hot night, and Myde's presence in the bed was certainly not helping with the situation. Irritated by the heat and the pain, Ienzo elbowed Myde in the side, causing him to squirm with discomfort.

"What?" He mumbled softly.

"You're a dolt," Ienzo muttered, and then sat up, glaring at the clock. Twelve already, and he had school the next day. He stood up and threw the window open with more force than was necessary, and then looked to the fan which was on oscillation. He glanced at Myde, and then walked over to it, fixing it at a position so that it only focused on Ienzo. He lay back down, and though he was cool, he was still tense.

Ienzo had finally started to slip into sleep when he heard Myde mutter something in his ear after rolling to face him, which he had tried to ignore.

"What?" He grumbled into the pillow, glancing at Myde, who still seemed wide awake.

"Are you always so angry?" He asked. His voice had gotten softer on those words, and it sent chills down Ienzo's spine, but he couldn't put a finger on why.

"I'm not..."

_Liar._

"But your body is always so tense... and you don't even let your friends get close to you..."

_Is it because you don't have parents?_

"I let people get close to me," Ienzo protested, rolling over to face him now, "Just only if I deem them worth it."

_Am I worth it?_

"Oh... I see... What about Amelia? What's wrong with her?"

"She irritates me."

_Who doesn't?_

Myde slipped an arm around Ienzo's waist, resting his head on his shoulder. "Ienzo, where are your real parents?"

"Xemnas is my real parent..."

"You can't fool me, Ienzo, I know he's not."

"And how might you know that?"

"You don't call him dad, except when you talk about him to other people. Most people call their parents mother and father right? You call him Xemnas."

"..." Ienzo just sighed and closed his eyes, unwilling to have this conversation.

_Gotcha!_

"C'mon, Ienzo, I have to get to know about you!"

"And why's that, Myde?" He snapped, sitting up.

_What's making that breeze now he's moved? The fan... Did he focus the fan just on himself on purpose? What did I do?_

"Because obviously I have to help you or something," Myde said, shrugging.

"I don't need you inexpertly flitting through my mind, thank you very much, especially as it's evident that you have little to no idea what you're doing."

"I... kinda know..."

"No you don't, you haven't got a bloody clue! You don't know why you're here, and nor do I, quite frankly, I don't even care, and I'd rather pretend you weren't here... especially when you're tripping me up in the mornings."

_Ah geez, drop it already!_

"Are you still sore about that?"

"Figuratively or literally?" Ienzo responded sourly, and then rested his head back down, grimacing in pain as he did so. Myde felt a stab of guilt until Ienzo kicked him hard in the shin. Myde swore under his breath, and then saw a glimpse of triumph flash through Ienzo's eyes.

"What?" Myde asked cautiously.

"I've never heard you curse before."

"I don't do it much, it's bad."

"Why do it now?"

"Because you hurt me!" Myde said, pouting and then curling up tight.

"You hurt me first."

_Oh shut up about it already! You're so annoy- ... You shouldn't be thinking like this. Anger is just a collection of negative thoughts. Let it go, Myde._

"Tell me what happened with your parents," Myde insisted gently, beginning to stroke Ienzo's hair.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"...Wow, that must have been pretty dreadful, especially if you don't even want to tell your own angel."

_I bet he likes the idea of owning me..._

"I can't imagine what my life would be like if something real bad happened to my parents. I mean, I can't see myself in your posit-"

"Nothing bloody happened, Myde, they just didn't bloody want me."

"What?"

_Uh-oh... Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up._

"They didn't want me. My mother had me, and then put me up for adoption. Happy?"

"Well of course not, that's really sad."

"Oh just shut up, Myde, shut the fuck up, I don't want your fucking pity."

"You don't need to get angry at me, I didn't really do anything."

"Yes, and you never do, and you never will. I don't know why I need someone as useless as you in my life."

_Ouch..._

Xemnas knocked, and then opened the door to Ienzo's room, and looked at the boy on the bed, who was laying, shooting a death glare at the pillow for no apparent reason.

"Talking to yourself, Ienzo?" He asked. Ienzo glanced at the clock and blushed. Xemnas wouldn't be up this late. He had woken him up with his conversation.

"...I was just trying to learn something. I was seeing if I could learn acoustically with repetition or if I really was a visual learner, as I expected," He tried to cover weakly. Over the past few weeks, Ienzo had become aware of Xemnas' growing concern for his mental stability.

_Why would Xemnas want a child anyway?_

"I'm here if you need to talk to me, Ienzo," He told him after a few seconds of staring. He wasn't buying that for a second.

_He has cat's eyes._

Ienzo looked back at him, and then dropped his gaze. Instead of rejecting it, as Myde had expected him to, he just nodded. "Thank you, Xemnas," he said quietly. Xemnas smiled and nodded, closing the door and walking out.

"Why did Xemnas adopt you?" Myde asked, curling up and closing his eyes, yawning. Ienzo considered this, and then lay back down himself.

"I suppose he was lonely. Either that or he wanted a new project. I never really thought to ask him."

"Weird... So you've just been angry with the world your whole life..."

"I didn't say that."

"I'll help you fix it."

"I don't need fixing."

"I don't need your permission," Myde retorted curtly, and for once, Ienzo had nothing to say. Instead, they both relaxed at last and let sleep take hold.


	6. Missing

**_Missing._**

_'You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.'  
-Barbara De Angelis._

_

* * *

_

Ienzo woke up to find Myde leaning by the window, looking up at the sky with longing and hunger in his eyes. Ienzo just lay dazed, staring at him for a while before he smiled to himself and sat up. Myde turned to look at him and suddenly his smile faded,

"You're awake," He commented, and then sighed, looking down.

"It's not that bloody bad, is it is?" Ienzo asked, raising an eyebrow and forcing himself out of bed, taking his school uniform and beginning to get dressed.

"I'll tell you after school," Myde said quietly, giving his friend a mournful smile before walking slowly across the room and wrapped his arms around him, sighing. Ienzo jumped at the feel of Myde's flesh against his, and looked over his shoulder at him. Ienzo sighed and pulled out of his grasp, pulling on his shirt and buttoning it up.

Ienzo was dressed and ready for school before Myde spoke again. He reached out for the door and laid his hand on it, turning at the quiet voice that spoke to him,

"Have a good day at school..."

"You're not coming?" Ienzo asked, his brow furrowing. Myde had followed him everywhere so far. What was different today?

"Not today. I've got a lot of thinking to do," He said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You never struck me as the pensive sort, Myde," Ienzo informed him, and Myde just laughed, opening the door for him and pushing him forward.

"Go. Have a good day. We'll talk when you get in."

* * *

_It's stupid. I couldn't focus all day because of him. My pen would freeze above the paper in English and I couldn't produce a word that wasn't about him. I was worried, very worried. I wish he could have just told me this morning what was wrong, because now I'm assuming the worst. I suppose he has to go away, perhaps forever. Maybe he has found out at last why I need an angel; I don't see what danger I could be in._

_I'm about fifteen minutes from home, I presume; I see this route every day after all. I'm frustrated, I'm anxious, I'm tired, and I still have masses of homework to do on top of it. Having an interfering bastard of an angel in your life is no excuse for your math levels to drop, after all. I despise keeping this stupid secret. It's strange, I barely know him, and I haven't been around him that long compared to some, but I already feel... almost... close to him. He's right, I don't let anybody in. He's touched my heart and struck a chord like nobody else ever has... how annoying._

_I told my friend, Amelia, about this today... in other words of course. I said that it was a friend I knew outside of school. She's too kind to judge. I told her how I'd slept round his house, and how, in the late hours of the night, I had been consumed by the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch him. She told me it was probably just a phase, and I was like any other hormonal teenager. I want this phase to pass. It's like he's inside my head every hour of every day. I'm so bloody confused, I'm so confused, and it's driving me insane. He's driving me insane._

_My skin's wet... is that rain?_

I looked up to the dark sky, and spits of it had started to be strewn across the ground. I picked up the pace and then broke into a sprint as the heavens opened up and the rain cascaded down and the wind picked up. I reached the door and delved into the pockets of my blazer to retrieve my keys. I felt my finger catch the edge and cut on one of the keys and I cursed, pulling it out and unlocking the door, throwing myself inside to escape the now torrential rain outside. I turned and pushed the door closed and then dumped my bag down. I despised the rain.

"Myde!" I shouted, running upstairs to see if he had waited in my room for me; I just thought he would have, like when I showered. We only had roughly two hours after school before my father got home, and then I couldn't speak to him until I turned in for the night, otherwise Xemnas was sure to have me locked away in a white room in no time.

I stared, half –disappointed, half worried at the empty bed. I glanced once over to the desk and my throat tightened when I saw nothing there. I couldn't explain the knots that had started twisting in my stomach at this point, and I ran to each room in turn, calling for him. There was silence, only the sound of my breathing and the rain pounding viciously up against the windows. I wanted to find out what was wrong earlier that morning. I didn't care about **Myde**.

I had **come** down the stairs, about to search the lower floor again before I heard a faint rattle at the door, and hurried over to open it. I felt my heart slowly lift, and then drop suddenly as I saw Xemnas smiling at me. I suppose he must have seen my panicked expression return, as the smile left his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Ienzo?"

I just stared at him for a long time, as if I were a mute, and then, without further thought, I ran out into the rain, away from my **home, **ignoring Xemnas' calls behind me. **I** had to find him. I was running too fast; I was far from sporty, and just about managed to **miss** a tree that I'd almost hurtled straight into.

"MYDE, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" I screamed against the sound of the wind and the rain. Okay maybe I was over-reacting, but I'd like you to keep in mind that Myde and I had followed the same pattern every day since he'd gotten there. Even if he was restless, and he'd had to go out when I was in the shower, he always left me a note. There had been no note. Something was seriously wrong, and I had to find him.

I don't know how long I'd been running before I came to a stop, utterly lost among the trees and the fast approaching darkness. The days were shorter now, and winter was close to coming around again. My shirt was soaked through, and the rain was drizzling now, not half as bad as it had been god knows how long before.

"Myde," I whispered, looking around, utterly lost and alone. "Where are **you**?"


	7. Avarice

**_Avarice._**

_'Reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth.'_

* * *

_Dear diary,_

_It has been one... two... three... four... five... six days since Myde went missing. Six days. Since then I've frittered my time away at home and slowly let myself recover from the loss of someone I almost cared about. Every morning I stop by my door and look down at the spot he used to lay in, and then deliberately avoid walking on it, half-wondering if maybe he's still here, and I just can't see him anymore. I talk to myself, faced towards the end of my bed, as if he were still there, just in case he can hear me. I reply for him though, I try to imagine what he would say, and about four out of ten times, I feel like I might have done it right..._

_In school, I speak to Amelia more intimately before. I suppose, perhaps, I'm trying to make her replace him. I pulled her arms around my waist the other day and just rested my head on her shoulder. She stroked my hair and held me. I know I shouldn't be doing this, because when she asked me out before, I scorned her. I don't want to get her hopes up, that's not my intention, I just need something to cling to right now._

_Everything here feels like a memory of him, and I know it shouldn't because... because I didn't know him long enough to have said I loved him, or ever really cared about him. It's just habit, I suppose. A dirty one I need to get out of... but I can't help it. When I look at the window I remember the morning when he was leant against it, staring out, when I go to the front door, I imagine the way he'd lay there when I first met him._

_I cried into Xemnas' arms last night. He thinks he's pushed me too hard, I suppose. I slept in his bed because I don't feel safe or secure in my own. I clutched at his shoulders, feeling weak and pathetic, but he said nothing to scold me for my lack of strength. He didn't ask for explanation either. Perhaps he believes I'm having a mental breakdown. It was nice to let go, nevertheless._

_He still never explained to me why he had come home early on the day Myde disappeared. Though, I guess he had other things on his mind when his drowned rat of a 'son' dragged himself back to the door at 11pm, shaking and shivering from the cold, eyes red from crying or the rain - who could tell which?_

_There's a strange surrealism that lingers about this though. I'm convincing myself more and more that I imagined it all, or that it was some experiment conducted by Xemnas. Perhaps he was trying to get me to socialise more... just pretending not to see Myde... after all, there's no such thing as an angel without wings... is there? He didn't have wings... Maybe this was all some kind of joke. I felt pain shoot through my heart just saying that._

_What the **hell **is happening to me?_

* * *

Myde stirred at last, and a blinding whirlpool of turquoise and sea-foam greens obscured his vision before he broke through the surface and panted for breath, cold sweat running down his back.

Myde had spent one, two, three, four, five, six days in a hellish state between dreams, nightmares and one speech from a 'heavenly' companion of his. He considered vaguely that the speech had been a nightmare, but it was far too clear to be so. His nightmares in heaven had been unbearable, almost as if he was back with Ienzo as he watched him sin and hurt others, yet these dreams spun far beyond reality, and he had, several times, felt Ienzo's hand in his hair as he towered over him, knife in hand, grasping him again and then drawing the edge of the blade closer to his throat before ripping it across. The gagging, the inability to breathe, the desperate drawing in of air despite the pain it caused... the panic. Then finally the bliss of absolute darkness.

He buried his head in his hands, and then looked down at the ground around him. Earth. Back here again... He didn't know whether to be relieved or horrified; once again, he had fallen from Heaven, but this time he knew what he had to do to get back, and to regain his wings, which he missed sorely.

He had sat across from Lea, on soft, springy grass, a gentle warmth running through the air in the middle of a field that stretched as far as the eye could see. One of many landscapes that one could visit here in Heaven.

"What's he like then?" That had been Lea's first question, the second he woke up. Myde had sat up, and, unsure how else to react, he just responded to his question.

"...Ienzo, d'you mean?" He asked groggily. The trip between Heaven and Earth was always highly disorientating, and he still wasn't sure how it happened. Everything seemed to turn black before hand, so he assumed he was unconscious for the journey.

"Yeah."

"Oh... he's nice I suppose..."

"Wrong! Myde, haven't you learned a thing down there?" Lea demanded, a dangerous anger sparking in his eyes. Myde shuffled around, unsettled.

"Ienzo is bad. He is a sinner."

"What?"

"S-I-N, N-E-R, got it memorised?" He asked patronisingly, tapping his temple.

"...He's not that bad," Myde defended, looking away from Lea now.

"Who are you trying to kid? You're supposed to be saving him, Myde, what's going on down there?"

"Saving him? From what?"

"From the crowds of nice people waiting for him when he dies," Lea responded sarcastically. Myde didn't pick up on it.

"Why would I want to save him from that?"

"Myde, you dumb fuck, he's going to hell."

"What? But he's not even that bad! Okay, maybe he did some things wrong, but that doesn't make him a bad person!" Lea just rubbed his temples, trying not to lose his temper.

"Okay, Myde? Shut up. Let me explain. You were sent down to Earth because he is a sinner. He has committed nearly every sin in the book."

"So?"

"SHUT UP! Let me FINISH, damnit!" Myde winced and gave Lea a dirty look. He was worse than Ienzo. "Basically, Myde, you've got to show him the error of his ways. Teach him to be a good guy."

"Then he'll get to go to heaven?"

"Nobody taught you anything, did they?" Lea asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you get it? You are born into Heaven, not welcomed into it. How many angels have seen God or the Gods? Three claim to have, and they are all Elites. We are the bog-standard run of the mill angels, and we don't even get to see who we're meant to be working for... if there is anybody. So why would someone that was born onto Earth EVER get to come here and get the chance to see them when even we don't? They're not worthy. Why would you think otherwise?"

"...I just assumed that was the point."

"No Myde. There is only Hell or death for those people. Eternal darkness. Go to sleep, never wake up. We claim to be the compassionate ones, so every now and again, it's practically our job to head down there and set a few of those heading for Hell on the right path, and you know what? If you're not compassionate naturally, they give you a new drive so that you do the right thing and keep people down there believing we're so good and kind and perfect."

"What's that?" Myde asked tentatively, but he was already sickened by this new information.

"If you don't, we take your wings, and you go to Hell," Lea said in a sickly sweet voice. Myde's brow furrowed.

"Why do we need them to believe we're all these things?" He asked slowly.

"Because, Myde, one day we're going to go down there, and we will be treated as good as God himself. People will honour us, and why? Because they're ignorant! They don't know what happens here, only how we act while we're there. Make sure you keep that image up and if you end up being made an Elite, well, when you go to Earth again... Geez, life of luxury, y'know?"

"So what are we?" Myde asked with a tight throat, his eyes fixed on Lea's now. "If we're not really that kind or good or caring, what are we?" Lea grinned at him, and Myde's stomach twisted into knots.

"People with wings, Myde. We just live on a different plane of existence to them."

"...But... don't we care about them?"

"Nah, we're just smarter than them, Myde." Lea leaned forward and ruffled up his hair, "We're just as greedy as they are, we just hide it better, see? So, go back, set your little friend on the right path, and then we can haul you back up here and in a few years time we'll head back down and he'll worship the ground you walk on!"

"...Lea... Is... Is this really what we do this for? We have everything we need here..."

"Yeah, it's true, but we'd have even more if we ruled Earth too." Lea grinned like a Cheshire cat. "One minor detail, you'll be going back as a human. Don't worry, we're still keeping tabs on you, it's just, we figure you'll work better this way because you can manipulate his friends as well. It's like getting a combo on a game - you'll get more for it later. We could even tint your wings gold if you do it well enough," Lea said with a smirk, and then pounced on Myde, drawing a loud cry from him as he did so. Myde grunted when he hit the ground, and then looked up at Lea, searching his eyes for some sign that this was all a joke. It wasn't. Lea leaned down close to him and he shuffled uncomfortably again. "S-A-V, I, O, U-R, got it memorised? Now, get back to work!" And then everything went black.


	8. Let Me In

**_Let me in.  
_**  
_'All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that can't be broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot.'  
-Henry Ward Beecher._

* * *

Myde trundled back, and by now the skies above were pitch black, the stars hardly providing enough light for him to navigate his way to Ienzo's. Myde's hands were shaking, and though he had long realised that he had a fear of the dark, he kept a strong determined look on his face. Despite all the time he had had, he refused to think. He didn't want to imagine, for even a moment, how he would cope with this new information. His only concern right now lay in getting back to Ienzo before morning.

It nearly 2am when he found his way back to the familiar red door. He gave a loud knock, his hands still shaking. Much to Myde's surprise, it was not Ienzo who answered the door, but Xemnas, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can I help you?" He asked, eyeing the strange dirty-blond boy wearing an old-fashioned robe. Perhaps he had been in a play. Myde's thoughts ground to a halt and a strange feeling of helplessness came over him.

"I... Well... I... You see..." He trailed off, looking down, eyes flicking back and forth as he tried to summon some kind of explanation. Xemnas looked at the deer-in-headlights look in the young boy's eyes and then pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

"Friend of Ienzo's?" He asked. Maybe this was why his son had been acting so strange lately. Had he found himself a boyfriend? Sure, the behaviour had been a little erratic, but he supposed that love did strange things to a person. "This is an awfully late hour to be calling. Do you know what the time is?" He asked somewhat snappily and Myde recoiled, looking down.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, Xemnas," He whispered.

"How do you know my name?" Xemnas asked, raising an eyebrow, "Have we met?"

"...No, Sir, Ienzo mentioned you to me before, that's all... sorry..." He stumbled out the explanation, wringing his hands now.

"Well he's asleep right now... do you want to come in?" He asked, realising that it was far too late to send the boy home. Myde nodded eagerly, and when Xemnas stepped aside, he walked in.

"Thank you so much," He murmured, wiping his feet the best he could on the mat and then running up the stairs to Ienzo's room. Xemnas watched him go, wondering how he knew his way around already, and why he had no shoes, but he shook it off, too tired to care, and then returned to bed.

"Ienzo," Myde whispered, his voice lined with joy as he walked back into the room. He closed the door quietly behind him and then walked over to the bed, getting in beside him. The room was dimly lit by the moonlight that washed over Ienzo's sleeping form. Myde grinned at the familiarity of it all. Strangely, this place already felt like home. Ienzo's eyes flickered open and his breath caught in his throat as he looked at him.

"Myde?" He whispered, hardly daring to believe it as he stared at him in the darkness. Myde just laughed and threw his arms around his friend. Ienzo's arms slipped around his waist and he could feel the warmth of Myde's hands through the material as he clung to him. Myde was suddenly startled by the feel of one hand pushing up his robe, running slowly over his bare flesh and coming to a rest on the back of his neck, drawing him in.

"Ien-?" Myde was silenced suddenly. Warm lips moved softly against his in the darkness and Myde's breath hitched. Ienzo's desperation and the desire that had been building up for so long was finally being satiated. After a few moments, he felt Myde responding. One arm slipped from around his neck as Myde experimentally traced his hand up Ienzo's inner thigh. Myde silently delighted in the softness of his skin and at the forbidden nature of what he was doing. His response was the cool feel of Ienzo's tongue on his lips, and, albeit nervously, he parted them, allowing Ienzo into him, running his tongue smoothly over his and sending guilty shudders of desire running through Myde. Something about a man lying with another man being detestable ran through his mind, but he pushed it aside. If it all meant nothing to Lea, it meant nothing to him either.

They both parted at that moment, blushing and breathing a little harder than normal to satisfy their heart's' needs.

"Welcome home," Ienzo whispered in the dark, and realised suddenly that he didn't care why Myde had been away for so long, and really, he wasn't as angry with him as he thought he would be. He was just happy to have him home...

"I'm glad to be back, Enzy," Myde whispered, his heart and stomach still twisted into strange and awkward knots. Ienzo drew him closer, his heart warmed by the nickname. The kiss to him was only the beginning of what he planned to do to the angel before him. Myde was tense for a while longer, and then let the feeling go as he listened to Ienzo's rhythmic heartbeat. He felt Ienzo stroking his hair and closed his eyes tiredly.

"Talk in the morning?" Ienzo offered, and Myde nodded hesitantly. The two fell asleep in each other's arms, one in complete peace, the other trembling from the rebellion of what he had done.


	9. Pride

**_Pride.  
_**  
_'Unreasonable and inordinate self-asteem.' _

* * *

The cold bit at Myde's skin, causing him to stir. He awoke to the smell of Ienzo's shampoo and the sheets that were coated in his natural scent. He sat up, his skin prickling with goose bumps. Myde ran his eyes over the raised skin and frowned before turning his attention to the skies outside. They were so dark and foggy that he could barely see the trees outside at all; it looked like a world of swirling crystal white. He wondered, if he ran into it, would he be swallowed up by the cloying air? Myde swallowed back that horrible warm taste of nothing in his mouth that lingered every morning and then turned his attention to the boy who he couldn't make up his mind about. He remembered the taste of Ienzo in his mouth, tongue sliding over his. He'd felt better afterwards. He didn't plan to do it again, but he'd miss the intimacy and the heat that had risen between them. Now it was gone and the air was cold and savage.

The morning had passed in a mixture of forced laughs and awkward silences. Neither would bring up what they had done the night before. Myde had silently blamed it on the relief of being home, and Ienzo had just remembered what Amelia had said to him. Just a phase.

"So, you're coming to school with me today," Ienzo said a little uncertainly, handing Myde his spare uniform. Myde looked at it with equal doubt and then dressed himself. Both were aware of each other's burning, uncomfortable glances as they dressed.

The uniform was a little too small for Myde, but the huge blazer that he wore over the top covered it up sufficiently; even if it was uncomfortable, he would at least look presentable.

"I guess so... Hey, Ienzo, are you ever going to tell Amelia what you did to her project?" He asked Ienzo, and Ienzo shook his head.

"She doesn't need to know..."

"She has the right to," Myde said in a voice that was almost scolding. Ienzo lowered his gaze and Myde decided to drop it. He didn't want to make him feel bad on the first day back.

"So let's get this all straight," Ienzo said at last, turning to face him. "You are my angel, right?" Myde nodded in response. "You are my angel, your name is Myde, and you are here to save me because I'm a sinner, and what happens if you don't save me?"

"You go to Hell," Myde said simply.

"And if you make me turn my life around and be all nice, I go to Heaven?" Myde tensed ever so slightly. He didn't want to lie, but he had to. Myde couldn't give the game away when it had been running so long...

"...Yeah, Heaven. With me," he said in complete monotone. He wasn't important enough to change the course of history. Myde sat down and looked in the mirror, seeing his reflection stare back into his glassy eyes.

"I am sorry to say it, Myde, but I think this is complete bullshit," Ienzo concluded. Myde turned to look at him sorrowfully, and then let his shoulders slump.

"If that's how you really feel, then just go back to reading your books and ignoring me like you used to." Myde knew it was a risky thing to say; Ienzo could easily do as he said. Ienzo just rolled his eyes,

"I guess I could make an effort to be a nicer person, but only so you don't do that stupid puppy-dog expression you are wearing at the moment," He said, smirking and trying to lighten the heavy mood between them. Myde let his eyes flicker right briefly, and then forced a laugh from his dry throat.

"I don't look like a puppy... Am I allowed to just start coming to your school like this?"

"The headmaster is a friend of Xemnas. I got up early to tell him you just transferred here, so he's pulled a few strings for us," Ienzo responded simply. Myde smiled suddenly and wrapped one arm around his shoulder, drawing Ienzo's eyes to him immediately, "What?"

"You think of everything, Enzy," He said proudly, kissing the top of his head. Ienzo felt the conflicting emotions clash again, desire and repulsion ripping at each other's throats.

"That is because I am intelligent," He stated simply, shrugging. Myde looked over at him discouragingly for the vain comment, and Ienzo smiled, "Just being honest, Angel." Myde raised his eyebrows; that was a new one.

* * *

_Oh my Go- goodness, is that a boy or a girl?_

Myde leaned back on his chair with blatant curiosity, putting one hand out on the desk behind him to steady him. It was five minutes in and the teacher hadn't arrived yet. The class was buzzing with noise and Myde was sat next to Ienzo, who was silent, reading through the text book to get ahead on the day's work. They were in History class nothing particularly interesting as far as Myde was concerned; it wasn't his world History. The room smelled like old parchment, and it was just as cold in here as it was outside.

_If it's a guy, why is its hair pink?_

He peered around an interfering head, just glimpsing the clear, pale skin and bright blue eyes. It was staring into a compact mirror, admiring itself with a smirk.

_Vain... Look at those shoulders though, it's gotta be a guy... Right?_

"Enzy," Myde hissed, nudging Ienzo with a sense of urgency as he tried to satiate his curiosity.

"Do not call me that in school," Ienzo complained, finishing his paragraph before looking up, "What do you want?"

"What is that?" Myde asked, pointing at the pink haired boy. "Like, is it a guy or a girl? Why didn't I see him before?"

"That is Ulmaria, and yes he is a man. You probably did not see him because you were looking at me most of the time or sleeping... Don't point, Myde, it is rude," He snapped, pulling his arm down quickly, but not before Ulmaria saw. Myde caught his eye and blushed, mouthing an apology quickly. Ulmaria just flicked the mirror shut and ran his eyes very slowly and deliberately over Myde and then looked back into his eyes. He smirked and winked and Myde kept his expression blank, gulping.

_What... did he just do? I feel violated... it was like he just undressed me or something... Argh my cheeks are all hot..._

Ienzo caught sight of his flushed cheeks and looked over at him, raising an eyebrow,

"Something wrong?"

"N-No," Myde let himself fall forward back into his seat, trying to shake off the chill that Ulmaria had sent down his spine. The man was feminine and forward. Myde couldn't help finding him a little intriguing.

He's so pretty... How can a guy look like that? His lips look soft... I wonder if he kisses like Ienzo...

"He is a slut, ignore him," Ienzo remarked, looking over at Ulmaria who was still eyeing up Myde like a fresh piece of meat. "He does this every time someone new comes along."

"...Oh,"

_Guess I was stupid for being flattered then..._

"Teacher's here," Ienzo alerted him sharply as she walked in and apologised for her lateness. She gave Myde a sickly sweet smile and he gave a sincere one back.

_She's pretty. She looks kind too. I hope she is._

"Yes, we have a new student today, class. Would you like to stand up and introduce yourself?" She asked, sitting herself down and organising her notes. Myde stood up and played with the bottom of his shirt.

"Um... Okay..."

_Fuck what do I say? Shit I swore. Crap I did it again... Oh this is not going well._

Flustered, the heat rose in his cheeks and he heard the silence pounding against his ears as they waited for him to speak. He looked around with a smile and Ienzo nudged him roughly in the leg,

"Talk..."

"I know, I know. Well hi everyone, I'm Myde, and I just moved here. I like..."

_Make something UP. Music. Music, you like music!_

"And I like music... and history," He added hastily, eyeing the teacher.

_What if she teaches other things too? What if she tells other teachers I don't like their subjects?_

"I like all subjects really," He said and then was roughly pulled back into his seat by Ienzo.

"You just made a complete dick of yourself. Well done," He said drily, half-ashamed to be sitting beside him as a low laugh ran around the class.

"I know," Myde muttered into the hands he had buried his face in. The teacher just politely brushed it off and began to teach the class, and by the end of it, Myde had made almost four pages of notes, his wrist aching.

_Well at least I got it done..._

Everyone had packed away by the time Myde had gotten his bag, which was actually Ienzo's old, worn out one, and the teacher dismissed the class. Three people remained after everyone had filed out; Myde, Ienzo and the androgynous Ulmaria. He flicked his hair and then walked over to Myde, leaning one hand down on his desk. Myde didn't notice until he sat up and Ulmaria's face was barely inches from him.

"Gah!"

_When did he get so close? What is he doing?_

"You're even cuter up close," He purred and Myde just looked down before leaning back and standing up, displeased when he saw that he was shorter than Ulmaria. Myde glanced over at Ienzo who muttered something about meeting him in the toilets and hurried off. Myde pulled his backpack on and pursed his lips, aggravated.

_Gee, thanks a lot, Ienzo... that's so irritating, what does this guy want from me?_

Ulmaria reached out a hand and stroked his cheek, looking deep into his eyes with a contented smile.

_I'm glad there's a desk in between us. He's so touchy feely, does he wanna stop?_

"Sorry, can you not do that? I don't even know you, it's kinda weird to me..." Myde muttered, pulling his face from Ulmaria's grasp and making for the door. Ulmaria was quicker, and he closed it rougher than he needed to. Myde looked at the man blocking his entrance and his brow furrowed.

"I don't have any money to give you."

"I don't want your money, silly," Ulmaria said and Myde sat himself down on the desk, folding his arms.

"Whaddya want then?"

"Oh relax, I was only being nice," Ulmaria rolled his eyes at Myde's behaviour. "You're being stupid now."

"...I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous. I'm not used to this kind of thing," He apologised meekly, letting his hands fall to his sides, lightly gripping the side of the desk.

_Nice one, Myde, now he's going to think you hate him, you could've been friends. You can't trust Ienzo's word, remember? He lies a lot._

"That's alright..." Marluxia handed him a scrap of paper which had his number on it. It had been decorated intricately with flowers, and Myde just stared blankly at it. "Take it. It's for you; I want you to call me. I'd like to be friends... How about you come over tonight? I'll keep you company. It must be lonely seeing as you just got here..."

"I'm sorry but..."

_How do I put this nicely?_

"But I barely know you... You seem really nice and-" Ulmaria forced his lips against him, locking him in the passionate kiss, holding him tightly. Myde tried to move back but the desk prevented him doing so. After a few agonising seconds, and a rough kick in the leg from Myde, Ulmaria leaned back and Myde grimaced,

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?" He asked furiously, his cheeks bright red. Ulmaria seemed amused by this, pleased to have provoked such a powerful reaction from the timid boy.

"Tasting you. You will come round tonight," He said forcefully. Myde looked at him for a few seconds, silent, and then just shoved past him, walking out of the classroom. He felt the hand catch his wrist and he turned, hostile now.

"Don't you know when to quit? Get off!" He shouted and then paused when he saw Ulmaria's hurt expression.

_You're being mean... stop it... don't you feel bad now? You've upset him... He looks cute like that... Maybe I over-reacted..._

"...Sorry..." Myde muttered grudgingly after a few moments after Ulmaria had released his wrist and his head and lowered in defeat.

"I'm sorry, I guess I came on too strong..."

"No, it's not that... look," Myde took Ulmaria's hand and squeezed it gently. "You seem nice, just don't boss me around, I don't like being treated like that. Friends have gotta respect each other... okay? I wanna get to know you too, but I'm busy tonight. Maybe some other time?"

"...Yeah... Yeah I guess that sounds good," He looked up at him sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry... really."

"Like I said, it's fine. Anyway, I gotta run, I promised Enzy that I'd meet him."

_And when I do get my hands on him... Grrr!_

"Okay, I'll talk to you later then. Call maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe," Myde conceded, not quite committing himself. "See ya!" He turned his back on the pink-haired boy and hurried off to the bathrooms, unable to believe what had just happened. He'd known Ienzo nearly a year before he'd tried anything like that, and Ulmaria was doing it on the first day? Whore...


	10. Pride  Part 2

**_Pride - Part 2.  
_**  
_'Anger is the enemy of non-violence, and pride is a monster that swallows it up.'_  
_-Mohandas Gandhi._

* * *

The end of school came quickly, and Myde had turned out to be quite the socialite, laughing and talking jovially with everyone and anyone, much to Ienzo's displeasure. He hadn't spared another thought for the pink-haired boy for the rest of the day. Myde turned to Ienzo as the bell rang and leapt to his feet,

"We go home now, right?"

"The bell is for me, not for you, Myde," The skunk-haired teacher at the front scolded. His cheeks burning, Myde took his place again.

"Sorry, Sir, I didn't mean to be rude," He said softly, guilt picking at him now. Ienzo had his head in his hands, never more embarrassed to be with the young angel, but still, today he had gotten to show him off to everyone, and despite Myde's constant mingling, he'd always come running back to Ienzo, making him smirk proudly, knowing he was the blond's favourite.

"Okay, now it's time to go," He said, opening the door as he dismissed them. They filed out in a chattering buzz, and Myde remained beside Ienzo, humming cheerily.

"You know, school's so much more fun when you actually get to take part," He commented. "It's no fun to just sit and watch."

"I would not know, Myde, and I do not care either. Just shut up and wait quietly," Ienzo snapped back. Myde frowned,

"Aww, Enzy, don't be ma-"

"Do not tell me what to do, and don't call me Enzy in school. It's Ienzo." Myde looked down and rubbed his arm nervously, unsure how to respond to the slate-haired boy. He had told Ulmaria that friends should respect each other, but Ienzo didn't much respect him either... Myde pursed his lips and said nothing.

* * *

The pair were soon home and Ienzo heard Myde's voice singing in his ear annoyingly, and so he did his best not to listen, rolling his eyes. He opened the door and walked in, and soon the two fell back into their usual routine. Myde undressed in Ienzo's room while his friend got a shower. He waited on the bed in the boxers he had been given, but wasn't really sure what to change into. He soon slipped the undergarments off too, unsure of their purpose. He had never worn them in Heaven, after all, and besides, he was close to Ienzo, so he supposed it didn't matter.

"What the-" Ienzo walked to the door, towel loosely tied around his waist as always. Myde straightened up and looked at him.

"I get changed now, right?" He asked. Ienzo's cheeks burned dully as he stared stupidly at Myde.

"...Yes," He said slowly and then tore his eyes away, trying to act casual with a sly smile working its way onto his lips. He liked seeing Myde's body, and if he never told him it was wrong, then Myde would never realise. He was beginning to see the benefits of being the only one who was truly close to this strange little misfit.

Myde whined, beginning to feel cold as Ienzo took his time sorting out some new clothes for him. He had made him shower before putting on new clothes, and hadn't even given him a towel afterwards. Myde expected no better from the selfish boy, but now he was shivering from the cold. Ienzo eventually handed him his own towel, and despite how damp it was, Myde pulled it around him, craving the warmth.

"My stomach feels funny," Myde told Ienzo idly an hour later. They only had half an hour before Xemnas would be home.

"Well you probably get hungry now you're not an angel anymore," Ienzo pointed out, and then went downstairs, Myde trailing along behind him.

"Get something out the fridge," He instructed, pointing over to it and then sitting down, burying his head in his hands. Looking after this mess of a person was hard work, he decided at last, and he would never get a pet as long as he lived. He wondered suddenly if this is what looking after him had been like for Myde. He didn't want to know. It was one day in, and already he was tired of practically babysitting Myde.

"Ienzo?" Arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Myde," Ienzo criticised. The sound of the boy chewing filled the air for a while longer, and then he rested his head on top of Ienzo's.

"Ienzo," He tried again, and this time he didn't interrupt.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Why did you kiss back?" Ienzo responded a little too quickly. Silence. The two busied themselves for the last half an hour, with menial chores so that they didn't have to think about the questions that had been asked of them.

"I don't care, you can't have him here," Xemnas dismissed. Myde's cheeks burned as he looked at the floor. It hadn't occurred to him or Ienzo that he might have to find somewhere else to stay now that Xemnas could see him.

"Xemnas, please, he won't be a b-"

"Are you talking back?"

"Yes, actually, because he really won't get in the way," Ienzo defended, and Myde looked over at him, surprised that he would argue for him to stay with them.

"I can't afford to practically keep another child, Ienzo, and it's not like he doesn't have another home to go to," He said forcefully, opening the door. Xemnas didn't like to be rude, but he wasn't in the mood for Ienzo's disobedience after a long day at work.

"Sorry, but you have to go," He told Myde who nodded and slunk nervously over to the door, wearing some of Ienzo's baggier clothes, and carrying the spare school uniform in a bag Ienzo had hurriedly pushed into his hands.

"Sorry for being a bother, Xemnas," He told him sincerely, stepping outside and feeling instantly lost. Xemnas felt a touch of guilt and shut the door before turning to look at Ienzo who screamed in frustration and overturned the table before storming off upstairs.

"YOU RUIN EVERYTHING," He shouted, slamming his bedroom door. Xemnas shook his head, walking over and turning the table the right way up and then sitting down with his head in his hands. He had never known Ienzo to be so immature. He looked out the window at the boy who was slowly making his way away from the house. So this was Ienzo's love interest, he supposed. As much as he cared for the boy's welfare, he still could not tolerate the young couple in his house.

* * *

"I'm glad you came," Ulmaria told him, and Myde just laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I felt kind of rude for earlier, and so I decided coming to see you was more important than those other things was going to do," He said with a fierce blush on his cheeks. Was lying contagious?

"Oh well aren't you just the cutest thing?" The pink haired boy laughed and pulled him inside before closing the door. Myde looked around. The place was a mess, everything strewn around carelessly, chairs over-turned, mirrors smashed, and pieces of the carpet missing in places. Nobody else was home. Myde looked over at the boy and smiled.

"Nice place you've got," He said politely. Ulmaria just gave him a scornful look.

"Well there's no need to be so sarcastic," He spat and then walked off upstairs, presumably expecting Myde to follow. He did, murmuring an apology and telling him he wasn't being sarcastic. Ulmaria opened the door to his bedroom and lead Myde in. To his surprise, the room was spotless, the walls painted white, the bed had white sheets, and everything looked so pure and clean.

"I love it," Myde said instantly and walked over to stroke the silky bed sheets. Ulmaria watched him with interest and then closed his door, sitting down and rolling a joint. Myde didn't notice; he was too busy looking around the perfectly organised room, wondering how someone that was as much of a perfectionist as Ulmaria coped in a house like that.

Within the hour, unaware, Myde was passively high and relaxing on Ulmaria's bed while the man next to him stroked up and down his stomach, which was bare since Ulmaria had finally worked him out of his shirt.

"Why do you smoke that stuff?" Myde asked eventually. Ulmaria lifted his hand and began playing with Myde's nipple, in response to which he shivered but did nothing, unaware of the significance behind it.

"Weed?" Ulmaria asked quietly, closing his eyes.

"If that's what it's called, yeah..."

"Relaxes me, that's all... helps me sleep..." He couldn't be bothered coming up with a proper explanation for him right then. Myde slowly lifted his hand and placed it on top of Ulmaria's, beginning to enjoy the sensation now. He gave a gentle laugh and then closed his eyes, resting his head to one side. The key could be heard turning in the door downstairs. Ulmaria flicked the light off quickly and then forced Myde under the sheets with him. Myde giggled quietly, taking it to be a game, and Ulmaria silenced him with a kiss. He held him carefully, beginning to stroke his hair obsessively.

"Let's sleep now," He murmured in Myde's ear. Myde conceded, despite his secret wishing to keep Ulmaria's hand on his chest, and soon the pair fell asleep.

* * *

Myde awoke with a jolt, the sound of screaming coming from outside the door.

"I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU FUCKING LOW-LIFE CUNT!" Screeched a female voice. Ulmaria was shaking beside him, and Myde instinctively wrapped his arms around him, overcome with the need to protect.

"Oh shut up you filthy little whore! I get back to your fucking trap everyday after work, NAG, NAG, NAG, why can't you learn when to keep your fucking mouth closed?"

"You're a fucking bastard! You fucking gamble away half our money and spend the rest of it on booze and THAT! Why the FUCK do I have to pay for everything?"

"It's my fucking money you fat, ugly, slag, and I'll do what I fucking want with it!" Myde began to rise and make his way over to the door, wanting to break up the conflict. Ulmaria leapt up and pulled him back into bed, covering their heads with the sheets now too.

"Don't be so stupid," He hissed in his ear, his voice quivering.

"Why? We can just get them to calm down," He responded softly. Myde heard the lighter footsteps beginning to walk away, and then the door handle began to pull down with a squeak.

"NO! Don't you start taking out your fucking moods on him! Don't you dare touch him!" The footsteps came back.

"KEEP AWAY FROM ME, YOU STUPID OLD BITCH," the male voice snarled, and then there was a rough thwack of skin against skin, the sound ringing in the air, followed by the woman's pained cries. It happened again and again until Myde had lost track, and he was holding Ulmaria tightly, whose eyes were wide and cheeks coated in tears. The heavier footsteps staggered off into the bedroom, leaving the sound of the woman crying. Ulmaria shook his head and buried it in the pillow.

After five minutes had passed, he got up and went outside to help his mother up, asking her quietly if she was alright. Myde waited inside, frozen in a state of shock. He felt guilty now, for standing by and letting it happen, but he knew he couldn't protect everyone, and right then he had wanted to look after Ulmaria. He saw the pink-haired boy leading her into the bathroom to clear her up. Her legs were trembling and he just caught a glimpse of the tears and blood running down her face.

Ulmaria eventually returned to his room, his eyes dull and half-closed. He closed the door and lay down next to Myde, who was still sitting bolt-upright, worried about the boy's mother.

"Don't you need to call the police or something?" He asked. Ulmaria laughed lightly.

"No point. They don't do anything. Last time they just told him to go for a walk and calm down. It was much worse for both of us when he came back. He tried to kill her," He whispered. Ulmaria got up again and rolled another joint.

"Why don't you ask someone for help, Ulmaria?" Myde whispered despairingly, hating the thought of him and his mother being stuck in this situation. Ulmaria laughed again, a high and desperate laugh that only lingered in the air for a couple of seconds.

"I don't know really. I guess I'm just too proud."


End file.
